The 110-year-old seer suffered from wheezing on Thursday night. And yet, he performed his daily religious ritual (Ishtalinga Pooja) early Friday morning in the same state, before leaving Tumakuru for Bengaluru, mutt sources said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking, the country’s highest civilian honor the ‘Bharat Ratna’, be conferred on the Siddaganga seer Dr Shivakumara Swamiji.

“The 600-year-old mutt has given to society many a great seer. The incumbent one Shivakumara Swamiji who has been vested with the responsibility of running the mutt since 1941, has served causes of the poor and needy by cutting across caste barriers,” the CM has stated in the letter.